Descriptive summary

Repository: Special Collections and Archives, Dahlonega campus, University of North Georgia

Creator: Isabella T. Lynn, 1926-2015

Title: Bella Lynn Collection

Date(s): 1956-2015

Quantity: 6 linear feet

Language(s): English

Historical note

Lt. Col. (USAF Ret.) Isabella T. Lynn was born November 19, 1926 to Col. and Mrs. Edison A. Lynn. She received her commisssioning as 1st Lt. in the US Air Force in 1957 and served on active duty until 1976.

After her service, Col. Lynn settled in Dahlonega and began researching her new home. She worked with Madeline Anthony to document the city's past and get the historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Col. Lynn worked with the Chamber of Commerce to research and write several walking tours. These brochures can still be found at the tourist information center today. As a member of the Lumpkin County Historical Society, she worked to preserve several of the buildings downtown including the Holly Theatre and the Old Jail. For some local houses that were renovated, she diligently documented the progress of the work and did some digging into the history of the buildings. As a genealogist, she researched several local families including the George Walton and Moore families. Col. Lynn was a lifelong researcher who collected widely on historic preservation, Dahlonega, Lumpkin County, and the state of Georgia.

Col. Lynn passed away on February 28, 2015.

Scope and contents

The Bella Lynn collection includes clippings, correspondence, photographs, and surveys of Dahlonega and Lumpkin County, Georgia. Of note are surveys done in conjunction with the city's application to the National Register of Historic Places. In the surveys, Lynn and her colleagues researched and described in detail the buildings surrounding the Public Square in Dahlonega. Lynn also researched and wrote several walking tours of the historic district of Dahlonega. Her research and brochures for the tour can be found in the collection.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged alphabetically by topic.

Administrative information

Cite as: Bella Lynn collection, Special Collections and Archives, Dahlonega Campus, University of North Georgia.